CITES Secretary-General Ivonne Higuero. PHOTO/ National Committee on Ecology of Uzbekistan. By SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT [email protected] The 20th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) continued in the historic city of Samarkand, Uzbekistan, with a stirring speech by CITES Secretary-General Ivonne…
Khanyisile Ngcobo, Nomsa Maseko,BBC Africa, Johannesburg and Danai Nesta Kupemba AFP via Getty Images Many activists want gender-based violence to be declared a national disaster South African women’s rights groups are calling for nationwide protests to demand that gender-based violence (GBV) be declared a national disaster in a country where attacks on women have become…
Many developing countries, particularly in Africa, are experiencing a rapidly worsening sovereign debt crisis, according to global economic experts. Economic stability is at risk if this crisis is not addressed quickly and thoroughly, and experts are calling on G20 leaders to commit to strong actions as they prepare to meet this month in Johannesburg, South…
Nkosana Makate in the constitutional court last year Nkosana Makate and his lawyers have agreed to ring-fence 40% of the payout he received from Vodacom earlier this month for the “please call me” (PCM) idea. According to media reports, legal teams for Makate and Black Rock Mining (BRM) agreed on 40% of the payout —…
We, Heads of State and Government of Member States of the African Union, guided by the principles of Agenda 2063 and sustainable development goals, gathered for the second Africa Climate Summit (ACS2) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 8 to 10 September 2025, in the presence of other global leaders, intergovernmental organizations, Regional Economic Communities, United…
In Belém, Brazil, as the world turns its eyes to the Amazon where COP30 has been underway for the past week, one question looms large: can climate finance move from pledge to lifeline? At every negotiation table and in every diplomatic statement lies a stark truth shared by nations on the front lines of the…
Our countries did not light this fire–but we are burning in its heat. And the smoke does not stop at our borders. –Evans Njewa, Least Developed Countries Group chair, when talking about the importance of the Loss and Damage Fund for LDCs BELÉM, Brazil, Nov 13 2025 (IPS) – Least Developed Countries have hailed the…
United States lawmakers have written to Andrew, Britain’s disgraced former prince, requesting that he sit for a formal interview about his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a day after King Charles III formally stripped his younger brother of his royal titles. Separately, a secluded desert ranch where Epstein once entertained guests is coming…
Vodacom has been using the Please Call Me invention for 25 years. Vodacom and Nkosana Makate have settled the years-long ‘Please Call Me’ battle out of court. In an announcement to shareholders this evening, Vodacom says the legal dispute has been settled and, as part of the settlement process, a notice was sent to the…
Nkosana Makate in the constitutional court last year Vodacom said on Wednesday that it had reached an out-of-court settlement in a dispute with a former employee over his role in creating the company’s “please call me” callback messaging service. The legal battle with Nkosana Makate over “please call me” has dragged on for about 17 years,…
